‘He was forced’: Manoj Tiwary’s explosive claim reignites debate over Virat Kohli’s Test exit | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has reignited the debate around Virat Kohli’s Test retirement with a sensational claim, insisting the former India captain was “forced” into stepping away from the longest format rather than walking away by choice.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Kohli’s decision to retire from Tests continues to dominate cricketing discourse, largely because his red-ball career defined an era for India. With contemporaries like Joe Root and Steve Smith still piling up Test hundreds, the void left by Kohli remains a constant talking point.

Speaking to InsideSport, Tiwary strongly disagreed with Sanjay Manjrekar’s assertion that Kohli left the “hardest format” to continue in the “easiest” one. “I don’t agree with him. Usko majboor kiya gaya tha,” Tiwary said. “An atmosphere was created as such that he had to say goodbye to Test cricket. He is not someone who would just decide on his own to leave. Yes, the decision came from his mouth, but everyone knows what happened behind the scenes.”Tiwary added that, given the context, it was unfair to accuse Kohli of choosing formats merely to pad his numbers. “After knowing everything, how can you say he left the hardest format to play the easiest one just for runs? I don’t agree with him,” he reiterated.

While the Test debate rages on, Kohli’s bat continues to do the talking in ODIs. Despite India failing to seal the ODI series against New Zealand, Kohli produced a valiant century — a lone-warrior effort that kept India in the contest and once again underlined his enduring class.Kohli smashed a 108-ball 124, laced with 10 fours and three sixes in the third ODI against the Kiwis. The knock marked Kohli’s 85th international century and his 54th ODI hundred, extending his own record. It was also his seventh ODI ton against New Zealand, the most by any batter, further reinforcing that while his Test chapter may be closed, Kohli’s impact on the game is far from over.